Uruzgan residents build canal, provide water to villages

URUZGAN, AFGHANISTAN

03.18.2011

Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class trevor andersen 

NATO Special Operations Component Command-Afghanistan

URUZGAN, Afghanistan - Afghan workers in the Shahidi District of Uruzgan province built a 300 meter irrigation canal March 18, which will provide water for two local villages.

The canal was built as part of an initiative to increase agricultural growth and improve the overall quality of life in the area.

An Afghan Local Police officer on the scene said his crew stood security watches during construction and were on hand when the residents of Sarekalam and Pir Javid villages watched water rush by their homes in the canal for the first time.

"The irrigation canal was built with no outside assistance," said an ALP spokesman. "This independent project provides local citizens with access to water for washing, cooking and agricultural projects."

A local Afghan mason repaired gaps along the canal and oversaw the pouring of cement to ensure the durability of the project, according to an ALP spokesman.

"The ALP security gives local citizens the confidence to increase development on their own," said a U.S. special operations spokesman. "We hope their hard work and initiative will inspire other villages to take action."

• Date Taken: 03.18.2011
• Date Posted: 03.21.2011 07:15
• Story ID: 67452
• Location: URUZGAN, AF